In Brief:
- Inaugurated by Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed at the BGB headquarters in Sylhet, the facility sits around 55 km from the India–Bangladesh border and 115 km south of Shillong, Meghalaya.
- The school will train BGB personnel on drones equipped with night-vision, thermal imaging, and anti-drone capabilities to monitor remote, densely forested, and riverine border stretches round the clock.
- Aims to combat cross-border smuggling, illegal entry, and drug trafficking while enhancing disaster rescue and aerial reconnaissance operations.
Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) officially established its first specialized aerial surveillance facility, the ‘Shimanto School of Surveillance and Drone Warfare’ (SSSDW), on September 1, 2026, at its Sylhet sector headquarters.
Located approximately 55 kilometres from the Indian border, the institute was inaugurated by Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed alongside BGB Director General Major General Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui.
The facility will train BGB personnel in operating advanced drones featuring thermal imaging, night-vision sensors, and anti-drone countermeasure systems to strengthen surveillance along the 4,096.7-km border—where over 860 km, including tricky riverine sectors, remains unfenced.
During the launch event, BGB personnel demonstrated tactical maneuvers showcasing drone usage in multi-member patrol operations to detect illegal crossings and combat cross-border contraband smuggling.
